The Federal Government has called on Nigerians to resist division and misinformation as the country intensifies its fight against terrorism, banditry, and other security threats.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stressed the importance of national unity, warning that enemies of the state are working to destabilise the country. “Our common enemies are terrorists, bandits, and criminals seeking to destabilise our nation. At this critical time, it is imperative for all Nigerians to stand as one. We must reject misinformation and division,” he said.
Idris cautioned against attempts to frame recent attacks in religious terms, describing such narratives as false and harmful. “The government categorically refutes any characterisation of this situation along religious lines. These claims are not only factually inaccurate but dangerously counterproductive to the unity required to overcome our shared challenges,” he added.
The minister conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s condolences to families affected by recent violent incidents, including the killing of a senior Army General, the abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi, and the attack on a church in Kwara State. He said the President has placed the nation’s security apparatus on “the highest alert ever” and postponed his participation in the G20 meeting in South Africa to focus on domestic security. Vice President Kashim Shettima, meanwhile, is in Birnin Kebbi to meet state officials, community leaders, and families of the abducted students.
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Reaffirming that Nigeria’s security crisis is rooted in criminality rather than religion, Idris noted that terrorism and banditry have claimed lives across ethnic and religious lines. He stressed that Nigeria remains a multi-faith nation where freedom of worship is constitutionally guaranteed. “These forces of evil do not discriminate by faith,” he said.
Idris concluded with optimism that the abducted Kebbi schoolgirls will be rescued, assuring that all available resources are being deployed to secure their safe return.
Meanwhile, the Kwara State Police Command confirmed on Tuesday that suspected bandits killed two people and injured one during attacks in Eruku, a boundary town in Ekiti Local Government Area. A parish of the Christ Apostolic Church was invaded during service, with a livestream of the incident circulating online. In Kebbi, gunmen also raided the Government Girls’ Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, abducting 25 students and killing a staff member.